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Air Transportation

RAND research on air transportation has examined a wide range of topics, including air traffic control, air safety and security, fuel systems, and accident investigations.

Report

What's the Buzz? The City-Scale Impacts of Drone Delivery

This report examines the developing technology for using drones to deliver packages and attempts to identify the societal impacts. In particular, the author estimates the potential effects on energy consumption, aerial congestion, and other outcomes.

Aug 9, 2017
Report

Chinese Investment in U.S. Aviation Is Not a Threat to Competitiveness

Since 2005, Chinese companies have acquired, merged, or established joint ventures with more than a dozen U.S. aviation companies. The investment has been limited to smaller manufacturers of technologies not relevant to commercial or military aircraft, likely due to effective U.S. export and foreign investment regulations.

Apr 10, 2017
Report

What's the Buzz on Delivery Drones?

Millions of commercial drones may be in the air by 2020. This could make near-instant airborne delivery a reality. But what are the hidden costs?

Dec 20, 2016
Commentary

How to Prevent Drones Colliding in Crowded Skies

The federal government should work with private firms to develop drone traffic management systems and test drone designs. This could help stimulate the development of drone aviation. It could also help modernize the air traffic control system.

Sep 14, 2016
Commentary

Out of Line: How to Better Protect Airports from Terrorist Attacks

In airport security, it's not the size of a potential terrorist bomb that matters most, it's where it detonates. Fortunately, new technologies may present opportunities to get travelers out of line and keep them safe.

May 2, 2016
Report

Can the Air Force and Airlines Collaborate for Mutual Benefit? An Exploration of Pilot and Maintenance Workforce Options

This report explores ways the Air Force and commercial airlines could collaborate on issues related to their pilot and maintenance workforces by evaluating benefits, costs, and feasibility from the perspectives of both sides.

Apr 21, 2016
Commentary

Regulating Drone Airspace Using 'Smart Markets'

With commercially operated autonomous drones potentially on the horizon, a policy problem is likely to emerge: allocation of scarce airspace and preferred flight paths. “Smart markets” could help.

Apr 19, 2016
Dissertation

The Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems for Agriculture in Africa: Can It Fly?

Examines the feasibility of adopting agricultural unmanned aerial systems in Africa.

Nov 11, 2015
Commentary

TSA Flunked Its Security Test Big Time — Now What?

We have to accept that humans, no matter how well-trained they are or how dedicated they are to their mission, are just not very good at maintaining laser-like focus while performing repetitive tasks. That does not mean airport security can ever be completely given over to machines.

Jun 15, 2015
Commentary

Are Airport Security Screeners Looking for the Wrong Things?

An investigation revealed that the TSA has failed in contraband testing, at a 95 percent rate. This shouldn't be perceived as an indictment of TSA workers. But it may be an indictment of the particular assignments they've been given.

Jun 4, 2015
Dissertation

Dissertation

Air Transport Pilot Supply and Demand: Current State and Effects of Recent Legislation

Provides a comprehensive Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) supply and demand model and then assesses the current and future ATP supply and demand pipeline, to include the impact on the U.S. military pilot population.

Apr 15, 2015
Dissertation

Dissertation

Predicting Active Duty Air Force Pilot Attrition Given an Anticipated Increase in Major Airline Pilot Hiring

Predicts future pilot attrition given the estimated increase in major airline hiring and recommends several policies that the Air Force can implement to better weather an increase in attrition.

Feb 25, 2015
Report

Report

Designing Unmanned Systems with Greater Autonomy: Using a Federated, Partially Open Systems Architecture Approach

Many current unmanned systems (UxSs) employ different communication systems and have limited autonomy, which limit information sharing with warfighters and other UxSs. This report identifies ways to address these limitations.

Sep 17, 2014
Commentary

TSA's Cellphone Rule Part of Deadly Race

While placing explosives inside a cellphone is plausible, it is almost impossible to do so with iPhones without rendering them non-functional, which is why the TSA is now checking cell phones are actually working.

Jul 29, 2014
Commentary

3 Weapons That Threaten Commercial Planes

It's relatively rare that commercial aircraft are targeted with weapons built primarily to attack military aircraft, but there are a range of potential threats from such weapons. Given that Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was reportedly at 33,000 feet when contact was lost, it seems impossible that the attack could have occurred using a shoulder-fired missile.

Jul 18, 2014
Blog

Like Flight 370, the MH17 Crash in Ukraine Could Remain a Mystery

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was reportedly shot down yesterday near the Russia-Ukraine border. But like Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which vanished in March, what happened to MH17 is shrouded in mystery.

Jul 18, 2014
Commentary

The Breach of Security at San Jose's Airport Raises Broader Issues

Those charged with security must think in terms of 360-degree security—not only screening passengers coming through the terminal, but also preventing unauthorized access to the aircraft from the air operations side of airport.

May 13, 2014
Commentary

The Flight 370 Mystery Gets Political

Why might unnamed sources try to link Anwar to a potential hijacking of an aircraft carrying 239 passengers? Possibly to divert attention from the government's ineffective management of the search in the days since the plane's disappearance.

Mar 19, 2014
Commentary

Want to Create Problems? Arm the TSA

With its current 47,000 screeners, an armed TSA would become the federal government's largest armed entity outside of the military. In the eyes of many, arming TSA screeners would change the image of the organization from a service aimed at guaranteeing safe air travel to an unwanted imposition of federal authority.

Nov 7, 2013
Commentary

Airport Violence—Not a New Phenomenon

Shootings at airports are nothing new, writes Brian Michael Jenkins. In fact, they have regularly occurred worldwide in recent years. The motives have included terrorism, crime, and mental illness.

Nov 2, 2013

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RAND Topic:
Air Transportation

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